After Infinity
by MarcellusMiro66
Summary: The remaining Avengers attempt to pick up the pieces where Thanos left off...while a new hope is beyond the horizon. (Post-Infinity War, so spoilers galore!) Review in the comment section!
1. Chapter 1

_**Title** : " **After Infinity** "  
_ _ **Plot** : Immediately after the events of "Infinity War", the Avengers struggle to pick up the pieces of the world left devastated by Thanos. They garner allies (old and new) along the road to recovery. [ **WARNING** : Beware of Spoilers Below!]  
_ _ **Characters** :  
_ _• **Tony Stark / Iron Man (played by Robert Downey, Jr.)** : The leader and benefactor of a faction of the Avengers, a self-described "genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist" with electromechanical suits of armor of his own making. He struggles to come to terms with the death of Peter Parker while attempting to make it back to Earth with Nebula.  
_ _• **Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth)** : The God of Thunder and the King of Asgard based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name. He struggles to come to terms with the deaths of Loki, Heimdall, and his people.  
_ _• **Bruce Banner / Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo)** : A genius scientist who transforms into a monster when enraged because of gamma radiation exposure. He struggles to come with terms with the Hulk not cooperating with him.  
_ _• **Steve Rogers / Captain America / Nomad (played by Chris Evans)** : The fugitive leader of a faction of the Avengers, a World War II veteran turned super soldier. He struggles to come to terms with the deaths of Bucky, Sam, and the rest of the world's people.  
_ _• **Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson)** : A highly trained spy, a former agent of **S.H.I.E.L.D.** , and a member of Rogers' faction of Avengers. She struggles to come to terms with the world falling apart before her very eyes, as well as the deaths of Wanda and Vision.  
_ _• **James Rhodes / War Machine (played by Don Cheadle)** : A U.S. Air Force officer and a member of Stark's faction of Avengers. He struggles to come to terms with the possibility of Tony and Sam (actually) dying.  
_ _• **Okoye (played by Danai** **Gurira)** : The head of the Dora Milaje, the all-female special forces of Wakanda. She struggles to come to terms with the death of her king.  
_ _• **M'Baku (played by Winston Duke)** : The leader of the Jabari, Wakanda's mountain tribe. He struggles to come with the deaths of his tribesmen and fellow people.  
_ _• **Rocket (played by Bradley Cooper)** : A genetically-engineered raccoon-based mercenary and a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He struggles to come to terms with the deaths of Groot and (eventually) the rest of his Guardians.  
_ _• **Nebula (played by Karen Gillian)** : An adopted daughter of Thanos and the sister of Gamora. She struggles to come to terms with the deaths of her sister and fellow Guardians while attempting to make it back to Earth with Tony.  
_ _• **Clint Barton / Hawkeye / Ronin (played by Jeremy Renner)** : A master archer, a former agent of **S.H.I.E.L.D.** , and a member of Rogers' faction of Avengers. He struggles to take care of Lila in the midst of a global genocide.  
_ _• **Scott Lang / Ant-Man (played by Paul Rudd)** : A former petty criminal with a suit that allows him to shrink in size and increase in strength. He struggles to take care of Cassie...who dreams of becoming a superhero like her father.  
_ _• **Hope van Dyne / Wasp (played by Evangeline Lilly)** : The daughter of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne who is bequeathed a suit along with the former mantle that belonged to her mother. She struggles to become a maternal figure towards Cassie and help Scott cope with his losses._ _ **  
**_ _• **Valkyrie (played by Tessa Thompson)** : A legendary warrior of Asgard who suffers from PTSD. She struggles with the failure of rescuing the other half of the survivors of Asgard's destruction._ _  
_ _• **Shuri (played by Letitia Wright)** : The younger sister of T'Challa and the Princess of Wakanda who designs new technology for the country. She struggles to come to terms with the deaths of her brother, Bucky, and the rest of her people while attempting to rule Wakanda in the wake of T'Challa's death.  
_ _• **Matt Murdock / Daredevil (played by Charlie Cox)** : A blind pro-bono lawyer in Hell's Kitchen whose four remaining senses are enhanced to become a masked vigilante. He struggles to recover after the destruction of Midland Circle.  
_ _• **Jessica Jones (played by Krysten Ritter)** : A private investigator suffering from PTSD who runs Alias Investigations. She struggles to deal with the losses of her mother, her friends, and (apparently) especially Matt.  
_ _• **Luke Cage (played by Mike Coulter)** : A former convict with superhuman strength and unbreakable skin who fights crime in Harlem. He struggles to move on with his life following the destruction of Midland Circle and the death of Matt.  
_ _• **Danny Rand / Iron Fist (played by Finn Jones)** : A billionaire Buddhist monk and the co-CEO of Rand Enterprises. He struggles to move on with his life following the destruction of Midland Circle and the death of Matt, whom he promised to protect the city._ _  
_ _ **Genre** : Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Film Noir, Psychological Thriller, Science Fiction, Spy, Superhero  
_ _ **Rated** : PG-13 / R_

 _Think " **Avengers: Breathe** " (by **stellarose** ) meets " **Tony & Nebula: Post-Infinity War**" (by **the_girl_in_the_flower_dress** ) on delayed steroids when reading this._

 _Enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

The fields of Wakanda were deathly silent. Half of its occupants had disintegrated, and the other half watched in horror as they did so. For a long good moment, nobody spoke out, cried out, or even _breathed_ out. Steve, Thor, Natasha, Bruce, Rhodes, and Rocket stood there surrounding the corpse of the one person they swore to protect from Thanos. Alas, the Mad Titan fulfilled his destiny...and took him along with him.

 _"Bucky..."_ Steve murmured to himself, still seated on the grass. Natasha, knowing how much the death of his aforementioned fallen friend meant to and affected him, allowed herself to stumble forward and help up her fellow Avenger. She didn't hesitate to motion one arm over his shoulders in comfort, and he in turn didn't protest. _It must be all of the shellshock, then._

"Has anyone seen Sam?" Natasha managed to make out.

"As far as I can tell," Rhodes ambled forward, "it's safe to assume that he's gone already. And Wanda..."

"And Groot," Rocket kicked a rock on his way.

"And my King," Okoye approached with M'Baku and Ayo.

"Oh... _definitely_ end times," Banner aptly commented while inside the Hulkbuster suit. Another moment passed before...

 _"Steve..."_ Natasha's breath hitched as she swayed lightly and leaned against Steve, who grabbed her before she could fall down. Alarm and dread ran through him, for he believed it was her time to go now. _"I... I can't breathe..."_

"Miss Romanoff took a hit earlier," Okoye approached to scan Natasha's body for the injury in question. "Once the adrenaline from the heat of battle wears off, the pain and shock will set in, so I'm not surprised she requires medical attention. She took the hit most boldly, I must add."

Steve practically forced himself to remain calm as he held on to Nat, "Hey, Nat. You're...you're gonna be ok. Just – "

"Is it just us?"

"... What?"

"Is it just us?" Natasha repeated her question, "or is everyone else...gone too?"

"Yes," Thor advanced. " _Half of_ everyone, at least."

Their worst nightmare all but certain, the remaining group glanced around in worry that they too may disintegrate at any possible moment. At Thor's reply, the realization hit Steve what Natasha was thinking. _Where was everyone else?_ _Clint? Scott? Dr. Selvig? Dr. Cho? Fury? Hill? The President? Peter? Pepper? Tony?_ Even with his head hanging down, Steve could feel the others' eyes on him. A newfound determination building up in him, however, he nodded and faced them.

"We have work to do."

"I agree," Okoye nodded in succession, "We must return to Wakanda and try to keep order; people will be frightened and confused. We must do what can done."

Everyone nodded in return and began their walk back to the Golden City. Steve continued to support Natasha while Thor carried the body of Vision, Rocket walking beside him, and Okoye was joined by M'Baku and Ayo. The former Captain couldn't help but think: _Tony, wherever you are... I hope you're safe._

* * *

"Get up, Stark. We've got work to do."

The tone of Nebula was decidedly belligerent, yet Tony opted to gaze longingly down at his hands, which held in the palms a pile of ashes. _Peter_ 's ashes. _Peter..._ The waterworks began to turn again and he hung his head in defeat, teardrops plummeting down to the planet's rocky surface. He was lost, both figuratively _and_ literally.

 _"Stark."_ Nebula repeated, a metallic hand placed on his shoulder. At that, Tony's head shot upwards and his eyes widened like saucers, followed by scrambling up and glancing at anywhere but her. His bloodshot eyes were an indication to her that this was an empty shell of his former self. He was now a man with nothing to lose. Case in point, she watched as he tugged at his hair and screamed...a heartbroken, gravely, and rage-filled scream.

 _"Motherfucker!"_ Tony yelled into the burnt-orange and empty heavens above, snatching up random pieces of debris and hurling or kicking them into the air. It was too much. It was all too much for him to handle. _My God... Who else would be gone? Pepper? Rhodes? Nat? Steve...? Oh My God... I never forgave him._ He slumped downward and hugged himself before rocking back and forth. Following this traumatic outburst, something in Nebula's expression changed to something akin to that of sympathy. Rage, agony and sorrow... No doubt she could relate to them all too well. Kneeling down at his side, the metallic hand was placed much more softly on his shoulder.

"... I'm sorry, Stark." A rare hint of softness within her tone of voice, Stark halfheartedly turned to look at Nebula.

"Thanos has gone too far, but we can't let him win. We have to find a way to stop him so Thanos can _pay_ for what he's done. The universe has fallen apart, and he is the only one with the power to do anything about it."

Tony blinked in surprise at Nebula's quite out-of-character monologue, despite knowing her for a few moments during the battle with Thanos. With that said, her face hardened again.

"Now you must get up. We're going to Earth to figure out who is left...for we can't do this alone."

Tony took several deep breaths and a moment's notice to contemplate. Nebula was right, even if he found it in himself to cry, wallow in his misery, or even scream in mad curses at the gods responsible for his fate. Holding out a hand and gripped his arm, she hoisted him to his feet.

"You're right..." Tony shakily nodded, "Let's go." He suddenly felt the strong urge to get away from this cursed place, and Nebula undoubtedly agreed. They had to keep going. There was literally no other choice.

Of course, with the ship damaged beyond repair, the journey proved easier said than done.

Tony waited on the ground while Nebula went to work on the ship's mechanisms and functions, attempting to get it to function with little-to-no success. He observed the barren, wasteland that was the surface of the planet. A light breeze drifted through the wind and ruffled his damp hair. Dusky orange and earthy brown tinted everything from the ground to the atmosphere and it could almost have been described as uniquely beautiful...had it not been for the pain and destruction that occurred her today. He realized how alone he felt without Peter and his endless optimism filling the silence. He wouldn't admit it before, but Peter was something of a son to him – someone who he valued greatly in his life. _What would Aunt May say to me when she found out...if she found out? Was she even still alive?_

A newfound determination stirring with him, Tony's main priority was getting back to Earth. Back _home._

 _Don't you worry, kid. We'll work this out._

 _"Shit."_ Tony heard Nebula mutter and turned toward her...and then toward the incoming spaceship entering the atmosphere. Gathering the last of his technology to build makeshift repulsors, he readied to go down fighting alongside her, who got into a fighting stance with her electroshock batons. As the vessel landed before them and the backdoor opened, their guards lowered at the person who strutted down.

"Kraglin."

"Nebula." The former Ravager member greeted the semi-Guardians member and her acquaintance, "What did we miss?"

 _"We?"_

Another person exited the spacecraft and stood beside Kraglin. She was dark brown with a pale smoke battle uniform that was complemented by golden armor plates and an azure plates. A macaroon cream-handled sword was resting in her black-and-silver thigh scabbard, as were dual daggers in mid-waist back sheathes.

"Mr. Stark? My name is Valkyrie. I understand that you are a friend of Thor."

* * *

The city of New York was in a state of decay, emergency, and ruins. Everywhere you went, you would find people disintegrating _en masse_ and the vehicles driven by them crashing into surviving innocent bystanders. Any remaining members of the police forces collaborated with additional authoritarian figures to help round up any survivors and quell the fear of an apocalypse beyond the people.

Detective Mercedes Knight was one of them.

Of course, she wasn't exactly doing her job at the moment. Instead, she walked down the panic-ridden streets of NY and ducked into an alley to have a conversation with an associate of hers.

"What the hell is going on, Misty?"

"I was about to ask you the same question, Rand."

Meanwhile, as this conversation was taking place, a high school student was matching down the sidewalk with both hands in both pockets. This student was a female with black hair, brown eyes, a red jacket above a white collared shirt, and black jeans with matching boots. Glancing around the destruction around her, she was entirely focused on the mayhem that she failed to notice the object she stepped on and nearly broke. Glancing down at said object and crouching down to pick it up from the ashes, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. The object in question...was a 1990's pager that flashed a golden starburst pattern on a red-and-blue background. _It's still intact...? But how...?_

 ** _Let beauty come out of ashes_**  
 ** _Let beauty come out of ashes_**  
 ** _And when I pray to God all I ask is_**  
 ** _Can beauty come out of ashes?_**

The girl's ears perked up at the song, prompting her to turn around and gasp. A girl her age stood a few feet from her, wandering aimlessly around the street. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and an all-too-familiar black hairband. _I know that voice anywhere._

 _"Betty!"_

The blonde girl turned to the source of the voice calling out for her and gasped in astonishment.

 _"Cindy!"_

Both girls ran toward and engulfed each other in a heartfelt hug, sobs emitted and exchanged. When they broke apart, it was Betty who asked _and stated_ the obvious.

"What the hell is happening, Cindy? People are disappearing!"

"I know, Betty. My mother and younger brother are gone, too. But..."

"But what?"

After a mental debate on whether or not to show Betty her discovery, Cindy ultimately bit the bullet. "I don't think we should worry." She displayed the pager for her to examine. Taking it from her and doing just that, confusion and intrigue plagued her just as it did for her friend.

"What is it?"

"It's a pager, _obviously_. I think someone was trying to send a signal for help."

"Okay..." Betty nodded in understanding, "...but to who?"

"... I'm still trying to figure that part out."

"Right. You think we should go to the police?"

"No. Not yet. Not until I figure out who was sending the signal to who."

"You mean _'we'_?"

Cindy glanced at Betty, who merely shot her a smile. Even in the world's end, she stood by her. She needed someone to look up to following Liz's departure.

"I was hoping you would say that, actually."

"Well, I'm glad I did."

Cindy and Betty exchanged smiles before taking off into the depths of the city...unaware that a mystery man was watching them from the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

**_"Miss Jones, my name is Marc Spector. My mother and daughter just disappeared before my very eyes – "_**

 _DELETE._

 ** _"Miss Jones, my name is Scott Summers. Many of my friends are disappearing, and I have no idea why_ _– "_**

 _DELETE._

 ** _"Miss Jones, my name is Kamala Khan. My mother, father, and brother are gone. Vanished without a trace_ _–_ _"_**

 _DELETE._

 ** _"Miss Jones, my name is Alex Power. My mom and dad have dissipated while dropping my siblings off to school and they're are starting to worry_ _–_ _"_**

 _DELETE._

 ** _"Miss Jones? My name is Matt, and my wife disintegrated_ _–_ _"_**

 ** _SMASH!_**

Jessica had thrown the computer into the wall, where it smashed into a million pieces. A long gaze was held onto it, before she buried her face into her hands. Daring herself (and failing miserably) not to try to cry, she couldn't help but do so as she came to terms with the situation she found herself stuck in. It was two years following the destruction of Midland Circle, one following the death of her mother...and zero minutes following the disintegration of her best friend and sister. Her tone when she arrived on her doorstep was one of desperation, and her call was never received until Jones relented at the last second. In those final moments, she could only watch in horrified despair as Trish crumbled to dust.

 _I never got to apologize to her..._

Suddenly, her phone rang and caught her attention. Hesitating to answer the call for only a moment's notice, Jessica opted to not let this call go unanswered.

 _"Hello?"_

 ** _"Jessica?"_**

 _"Luke? You're alive!"_

 ** _"You're alive?"_**

 _"... Yeah. Look, what the hell is happening here? People are disappearing!"_

 ** _"I was going to tell you the same thing. Listen, is there someplace we can meet?"_**

 _"Where are you?"_

 ** _"I'm at Danny's dojo with him and Colleen."_**

 _"Anybody else?"_

 ** _"Well... There's also Claire, Misty...and Matt."_**

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

 ** _"I'll be there, ASAP."_**

Jessica hung up the phone before snatching her black biker jacket and heading out the door. She knew where Danny's dojo was, but damn, it would one hell of a long walk from here to there. She also knew the risks, however, so she would suffer through them. _If Matt's alive... He'll need me._

 _He'll need us._

* * *

It was nighttime in Wakanda now.

Steve found himself sitting in the mess hall alone. Shuri, Queen Ramonda and the surviving members of Wakanda's executive leadership remained behind closed and locked doors, the orders coming out at irregular intervals. Okoye was commanding what remained of the Wakandian armed forces to assist with clean-up and peacekeeping, Rhodes working alongside her. Bruce had retreated to the science division, and nobody knew where Thor and Rocket had gone. Most media channels were completely shut down, with the exception of ABC, BBC World News, and of course, and Al Jazeera. The running lists of names of those who were missing, gone, lost, or...dust...played on alternating screens scattered around the mess hell. Thor was right. It was half of the planet's population.

Just gone.

 _This isn't real. It can't be real. No, I **refuse** to believe it is real._ Somehow, it felt fake, as if they were dumped in some sort of parallel dimension. He'd spent the past hours attending to other warriors well enough to stand and saw a nurse who checked his wounds, his concussion, and his health concerning his lack of shower, clothes, and food. An ice cold shower was taken on purpose, and the cream he had been supplied with had felt cool on the split on his forehead, as well the other cuts and bruises he'd acquired. He basically devoured every meat, rice, and vegetable entrée he was served, trying to recall the last proper meal he'd had. He wished someone told him the ingredients what was in this, but he felt the few Wakandian soldiers also in the mess hall eyeing him with a sense of suspicion. They had every right. Considering he was the reason their king confronted their enemy and brought the fight to their home, they certainly blamed him...despite their sympathies.

He didn't save them. He _couldn't_ saved them. He had only made things worse than they already were. There was nothing he could do. Clenching his fists and digging his nails into his palms, he practically forced himself to breathe. He couldn't mourn yet. This wasn't real.

 _You just need to breathe._

 _Breathe..._

"Captain Rogers."

Steve turned to find M'Baku slowly approach him with a solemn look. "Do not blame yourself for what has happened here."

"Who else is there to blame?"

"The Jabari knew the risk when heading into battle. I just never expected our fate to be...this."

Steve nodded, "Is Shuri...?"

"She is almost done. What do you need?"

"Another meeting of sorts. We need to figure out our next move." Steve placed his empty plate and cutlery onto the tray and into the sink, "We can't give up."

"I agree."

Steve and M'Baku turned to find Thor and Rocket walking toward them. "As far as we're concerned, Thanos will not go unpunished."

"For killing Groot? Highly _unlikely_."

"I suggest you save your aggression for the Titan, little creature, shall you face him again," M'Baku was quite impressed by Rocket's bloodthirsty attitude at the moment.

"Oh, I'm planning on it, big guy," Rocket likewise pumped his laser rifle, "and assuming that he hasn't reached the rest of my friends...he can only hope that day never comes. Or, at the very least, comes any more sooner."

"Even so," Natasha entered the conversation from the next room over, "Steve's right. We need a plan."

"We're low on allies, short on resources, and absolutely no hope of contact with the outside world besides through Shuri." M'Baku countered.

"When there's a will, there's a way," Steve was instilled with newfound confidence, if only a brief hint of it.

"I agree," Thor nodded just as Shuri herself arrived, accompanied by Okoye, Ayo, and the rest of the Dora Milaje.

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow, we shall commence our contingency plan. Right now, we need to rest."

Something they could all agree on, the group went their separate ways. As Steve retreated to his quarters, Natasha trailed behind him.

"So what do you have planned for tomorrow?"

"... No idea."

Steve and Natasha exchanged looks before continuing on. Take a guess on who threw the _'You have to be shitting me'_ look.

* * *

. . .

. . .

. . .

"What do you think it means?"

"Absolutely no idea in the slightest."

Cindy and Betty had been staring longingly at the pager for some time now. The only thing closest to a conclusion reached was the insignia being that of a superhero, similar to Captain America or Spider-Man. Other than that, nothing credible had materialized.

"But I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the Avengers or that one super secret spy organization. God, I forgot what it was called again. **_S.W.O.R.D._** , **_S.P.E.A.R._** , **_S.T.R.I.K.E._**?"

"You mean **_S.H.I.E.L.D._**?"

Cindy shot at Betty a look of pure shock, "How do you know – ?"

"There's this girl I tutor and babysit on occasion. Her father, he works for **_S.H.I.E.L.D._** before it fell apart four years ago. I know this because she talks a lot about him being gone on his job." Betty pulled her iPhone before dialing up the number. "Assuming that he hasn't disappeared with everyone, maybe I can ask him what the pager means."

"What if he doesn't?"

 ** _RING._**

 ** _RING._**

 ** _RING._**

"Well, for the sake of us, let's just hope he does."

* * *

Clint had packed all the credentials needed for a road trip during the world's end. Yes, those included even all the bows and arrows his heart desired; the firearms were merely second priority. Placing the bags in the car, he pulled his Beretta 92FS and loaded the chamber before Lila ran up to him, phone in hand as she did so.

"Daddy! Betty is on the phone! She wants to talk to you!"

Taken aback by his daughter's tutor's short-notice request, Clint faked a smile and took the phone from Lila. "Ok. Well, go to the bathroom and clean up. We'll be leaving in a minute." As he watched his daughter happily skip away back into the house, oblivious to the horror unfolding around her, his breath hitched as he placed the phone up to his ear:

 _"Hello...?"_

 ** _"Oh, thank God! I thought you were dead! Mr. Barton, this is Lila's tutor Betty?"_**

 _"Uh, yes, I remember you Miss Brant. How can I help you?"_

 ** _"Well, I thought it would be best to just show you instead of telling you. But my friend and I found this pager_ _–_ _"_**

 _"... What about him?"_

 ** _"Assuming that he isn't gone, I think he was trying to call for help. The only visible hint of the pager working is a star emblem in a red-and-blue background. Does that sound familiar to you?"_**

 _"... No, ma'am. But I think I should see this pager for myself. Think you two can make it to Stark Tower?"_

 ** _"We can try...assuming that the high-tech security will let us pass."_**

 _"Then they obviously haven't met an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. yet. I'll see you two there."_

Clint hung up the phone just as Lila exited the house. Both entered the truck and drove off in the heart of New York City. _If what these girls are saying are true...then we need to get to business._

 _The **Avengers** need to get to business..._

 _...and finish what Nick started._

* * *

 ** _KNOCK._**

 ** _KNOCK._**

 ** _KNOCK._**

 _Cindy and Betty woke up to the sound of the door knocking. Exchanging nervous and uncertain glances, they grabbed the nearest object to defend themselves. Betty with a hammer and Cindy with a baseball bat, they both carefully made their way to the door...and pulled it open._

 ** _"YAH!"_**

 ** _"Will the two of you shut up? It's two in the morning?"_**

 ** _"... You?"_**

 _In the doorway stood a disheveled and angry-looking Michelle "MJ" Jones, with black jacket and all._

 ** _"Yes, obviously. Who else?"_**


	3. Chapter 3

The ship soared through space as it traveled to their destination. Tony and Valkyrie were seated in the cabin; the former worked on new technology for/with the remnants of his destroyed suit while the latter sharpened her bladed weapons as they talked about the presence of Thor.

"So, Thor is alive?"

"Judging from what the Guardians said... Yes, he is."

"That's a relief. What's your plan? I hope it doesn't involve running."

"I'm not running, period. Nebula and I are going to back to Earth and recruiting the last of the Avengers."

"Fighting instead of running? Wise move."

"What, you're criticizing me for making an undoubtedly right decision?"

"Of course not. I'm criticizing you for making an undoubtedly right decision before me."

Nebula and Kraglin were seated in the cockpit; the former was piloting while the latter set the coordinates for their next destination.

"Are you sure you want to head to Xandar, Nebula?"

"If what Valkyrie says is true... Then yes, we're heading to Xandar first, Earth second, and Sakaar last."

"Sakaar? Why there?"

"Assuming we get the job done on time, I'm taking that Asgardian's advice: Drink, forget, and die...in time."

"... You don't have to. You have us, and we have you."

"... I like to think so. But I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

Kraglin's frown was that of concern just as Nebula's was one of contempt. They continued to pilot the plane until it reached Xandar...where a friend in need was a friend indeed...waiting...

* * *

Clint arrived at Stark Tower just around the same time Betty and Cindy did. He and Lila exited the car just as the two girls were bickering with Happy Hogan, Mr. Stark's bodyguard and chauffeur. Brandishing his Beretta 92FS and aiming it at him, he made his introduction clear.

"Happy, I think you should let them in. This is an emergency."

Happy himself raised his hands up and let them pass, trailing behind. One elevator ride later, they ended up at the top floor where Pepper was. After introductions were made and exchanged, they ended up in the center where Betty and Cindy displayed the pager to Clint, who examined it...particularly the red, blue, and gold symbol transmitted on the screen.

"Do you know what it means?"

Clint rubbed his chin in contemplation before responding, "I think I do...but this person should gone by now."

 ** _RING-RING!_**

The archer pulled his emergency phone and checked the ID ( _Scott?_ ) before answering.

 _"Scott?"_

 ** _"Clint! What the fuck is happening?"_**

 _"Are you still in California?"_

 ** _"Where else? I'm staying at Pym's house with Hope and Janet. Cassie's still shaken up after seeing what was happening around us. We were just eating dinner before they... Clint, what's happening here?"_**

 _"... It's hard to explain, Scott. To be honest, I'm having trouble figuring out what's happening myself. But I do know one thing: the Avengers need our help. You think you can make it to New York...specifically Stark Tower?"_

 ** _"Easier said than done. When there's a will, there's a way. I'll see you in two days...or less."_**

Clint hung up the phone and smoothed his nose bridge. Lila could only place a hand of reassurance on her father's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay, Daddy. Aunty Nat's gonna fix everything. Her friends will help, too."

This lightened the load Clint had on his hands, and the adorable delivery Lila reassured his father with made Betty swoon. If this was going turn into another "Aunty Nat saves the day" story, then it was good enough for him to keep her going. Cindy only sighed and nodded in understanding before standing up and turning to Pepper, "Miss Potts... Do you have a lab here?"

Pepper nodded but added, "There's nothing much left."

"I need something to work with."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll see." After being escorted to Tony and Bruce's old lab, Cindy was left to her own devices. Placing her backpack atop the work table, she pulled out two objects. The first was a black-and-white long-sleeve unitard – the front of the sleeves and first half were white, the back of the sleeves and bottom half were black. The sleeves' backside (specifically from the armpit section) were designed with upward arrows that led to the cuffs. The top resembled that of a cross between a biker jacket and a karate _gi_ , with a zipper visible on her right breast and the _eri_ (the "lapel") colored yellow in sharp contrast to the mostly black-and-white nature of the uniform. Rounding out the outfit was a black bandana mask for the eyes, a pair of black leather fingerless gloves with matching bracelets, and black combat boots. The second object was a pair of wrist-mounted mechanical devices developed and used to project synthetic webbing. Slipping one of them on, Cindy opened fire on the wall and checked the length.

It was 27 centimeters.

* * *

"You wish to return to America."

Shuri, Okoye, and Ramonda met with the Avengers in the dining room to discuss their next move. Their conversation went as well as you'd expected it to go; it passed around in circles before the latter group implied the inevitable. Natasha in particular was quite desperate to reunite with Clint and Lila, but with too many cooks in the kitchen half-baking debate, she believed it best to sit this one out until further notice.

"We need to access Tony's technology. I know Shuri's is a tad more advanced than his, but it would take many weeks to learn hers and we don't have that kind of timeframe. No offense, Shuri."

"None taken. Mine _is_ better," the Princess of Wakanda reassured him, "But I shall come with you. I can use your backwards white-people tech to try and fix Vision."

"No, Shuri," Ramonda objected, "As your intentions are honorable, you must rule Wakanda in your brother's place."

"Besides," Okoye added as she turned toward the Avengers, "you don't have clearance to fly. And even if you did, you would have to cross half of Africa." Turning back to Shuri, "Shuri, I'm sorry, but your duty is here."

Shuri was slowly losing her patience and temper. "Okoye... Do _not_ talk to me like you're my mother. If you wish to give orders, give them to Nakia or even M'Baku...because you are doing nothing but deterring me from the mission at hand here!" Having lost her father and older brother (for a second time, no less) in a much lesser span, it was understandable to see why she was on edge lately. It was a fact that Thor and Rocket seemed to notice, but merely commented _somewhat_ tactfully.

"Ooh boy, this is getting awkward."

"It's pleasant to know that I am not the only one with royal family drama."

Steve shot the both of them a wearily glare before turning to Ramonda with something of a pleading look. "Your Majesty, please. If this works, we may be one step closer to fixing everything. And Okoye, I'm sorry, but authority is something we have little time for."

"Captain, have you always had problems with authority or is this new?"

"You would be surprised, _Ich habe_."

A sudden voice in the conversation was one that Steve hadn't heard in a _long_ time. The group turned toward the shadows and found a ghostly figure standing there in an equally dark cloak. The bald red-skinned face was a dead giveaway.

 _"Red Skull...?"_ Steve murmured in horrified shock before readying his shielded gauntlets. "You should be dead."

"You're one to talk, Captain," Schmidt emitted a humorless laugh, "I saw the Tesseract and what it was capable of, just as you would've when it brought the aliens to New York. I do not know how...but I survived. The planet it sent me to called Vormir to guard the Soul Stone. Thanos came and gave the sacrifice needed to get the stone from its hiding spot. For 70 years, I have resided there, acting as the guardian and keeper of the Soul Stone."

All of the group members exchanged looks of confusion and intrigue with the exception of Steve, who expressed nothing but pure suspicion.

"So why come here?" Rocket crossed his arms.

"Because I do not have to be so anymore." Schmidt calmly explained.

"So now what? Are you here to reform **_HYDRA_**? Once they learn that their founder has somehow returned?" To Steve's surprise (and everybody else's), Schmidt shook his head in response.

" ** _HYDRA_** is dead, Captain. And even if any of the remnants of **_HYDRA_** came to me, I would politely turn them down. There will be no heads growing back this time." Schmidt began to pace back-and-forth with Steve looking at him in complete surprise. Natasha cocked her head as she voiced his (Steve's) thoughts.

"Okay... You _look_ like the Red Skull, you _sound_ like the Red Skull...but you are not _behaving_ like the Red Skull." Schmidt chuckled again, this time with a sense of good humor tinged within.

"I was stuck as the keeper of the Soul Stone for around 70 years now, _Fraulein_ , unable to claim the power that I desired for so long. I saw the universe change before my very eyes and I was helpless to do anything but watch. It gave me plenty of time to contemplate my actions and reflect."

"Do tell," Shuri inquired, much to everybody's surprise again.

"I found it ironic: I always dreamed of leaving humanity behind and become a god to the people of Earth. I now have none of my humanity and I am pretty much immortal but stuck like this in the same location made me lose the appeal of the power I coveted. Warlord after warlord I have encountered thought they had what it took to take the Soul Stone, but none of them had anything they loved to sacrifice. They loved power and only power...not that much different from how I was on Earth. Meeting hundreds like me made me despise my very self. I admired Zola in continuing the legacy of **_HYDRA_** by invading Stark and Carter's **_S.H.I.E.L.D._** project. How they were building a world of chaos in which the citizens would be forced to surrender their freedom. I dreamed of coming home to take my place as Supreme **_HYDRA_** of this new world, but those dreams were eventually destroyed by those like me. Karpov, Pierce and Strucker. Those who I would have been proud to be my successors I now look at with disgust."

The man in front of Steve and the others was far from the ambitious and power-hungry Nazi leader in the 1940's. He was now an empty shell of his former self. A lot more humble and wiser, Steve himself noticed.

"All that time getting on Hitler's good side just to earn his trust...all for naught."

"... So what happens now?" Steve wondered, nearing the end of the conversation.

"We go our separate ways, of course. I shall explore the universe...and you shall go save it."

Schmidt turned around before walking back into the shadows.

"Good luck with your future, Schmidt."

The former Red Skull turned and smiled one more time. This smile was not an arrogant _'I will win and you will lose hero'_ type of smile Steve had seen before, but one of genuine bittersweet nature as if he was saying goodbye to an old friend.

 _"Same to you, Captain..."_

The group watched as he disappeared before a solemn silence overcame them.

"He seems nice," Shuri broke said solemn silence with a smile.

"He seems gnarly," Rocket shrugged in agreement.

M'Baku, confused as to what he had just witnessed, sidestepped towards Shuri, Okoye, and Ramonda.

"I...shall watch over Wakanda. Shuri, you go to America and...have the robot fixed."

"Thank you, M'Baku." Hugging him for a split second, Shuri headed to her resting quarters. "I shall pack my things."

Steve was stuck in a moment's notice of contemplation before he nodded and face the group, a glint of determination in his eyes. "Schmidt's right. We have to assess **_F.R.I.D.A.Y._** , find Tony...and fix this. All of this."

* * *

 _ **A/N** : A few things to point out listed below. Beware of potential spoilers!_

 _• For those who don't know who **"Betty and Cindy"** are, **Betty Brant** is a love interest of Peter's who worked for the Daily Bugle in the comics._ _You recognize **Cindy Moon** as... **Silk** , the **"Spectacular Spinning Jenny"**. Their roles are expanded here than in the **MCU**._

 _• The part with the **Red Skull** is inspired by " **Infinity War Epilogue: Meeting** " by **Cornholio4**. A great story on AO3 you should really check out._

 _• Chapter 4 will focus primarily on the **Defenders** and introduce new characters...but I'm not telling who. [You wanna hint, **Darkhold**?]_

 _• In later chapters, **Lila** and **Cassie** strike up a friendship (and possibly become more?). No, I mean...inevitably follow in their father's footsteps._

 _• Seeing as **Ty Simpkins** and **Emma Fuhrmann** are the same age (the former being a month older than the latter), I personally ship **Harley/Cassie**. Sounds crazy, right? Well, that's because it is. I'm sorry._

 _• Following up from Bullet Point #5, **Harley** plays a role here as well, seeing how he is set to return in **Avengers 4** ; in what capacity he is returning in, we are unaware yet._

 _• Seeing how she was one of the casualties in Thanos' fingersnap of doom, **Sif** will not among be the Asgardians here._


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N** : I know it's been approximately a full month since I last updated, but I was considering and reconsidering rewriting this (the entire story) when a few plot points came to my attention. One, the Benatar (the Guardians' new ship) is still somewhere on the planet. Two, the entire Pym family bit the dust (sorry for the spoilers) and Scott is left in the Quantum Realm; assuming that she is still alive, Cassie is left all alone. Three, all of the Marvel TV shows thus far apparently take place before **Infinity War** , meaning they don't have to deal with the fallout of this movie. Seeing that this is just another AU fanfic of a popular movie, however, I am very tempted to screw over these rules. Until then..._

 _Enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

Jessica didn't know what to think when she stumbled upon an unconscious Matt on the floor of Colleen's dojo surrounded by all of the other members of the so-called "Defenders". She was angry, sad, confused...and, surprisingly enough, _happy_. Happy that her friend managed to survive the collapse of Midland Circle. After all, he was the one she could relate most to when they first met. _But why, at the worst possible time, now?_

"How's he holding up?"

"So far, so good..." Claire checked Matt's vitals as she cleaned up his wounds, "He'll live. From what I've known about him, he is one tough son of a bitch."

Jessica glanced back at Matt, who continued resting. Suddenly, his phone rang and caught the attention of everybody in the room, most notably Jessica. Slipping it out of his pant pocket, she checked the caller _'ID'_ : **_BW._** Exchanging confused glances with the others, who merely shrugged their shoulders in response, she rolled her eyes and answered the call:

"Whoever this is better give me a damn good reason why I shouldn't knock the fuck out of you when or if I actually meet you in person."

 _. . ._

 _"Nice to meet you, too. Who is this?"_

 _. . ._

"My name is Jessica Jones, a private detective and owner of Alias Investigations."

 _. . ._

 _"So...you're not Matt Murdock?"_

 _. . ._

"No. He's right here at my feet, on the floor of a martial arts dojo, bleeding and unconscious."

 _. . ._

 _"Why?"_

 _. . ._

"What's he to you?"

 _. . ._

 _"An old friend."_

 _. . ._

"Care to elaborate?"

 _. . ._

 _"I prefer not to."_

 _. . ._

 _"But if you want the short version, I used to be a Russian spy."_

 _. . ._

"Yeah, that seems plausible. Where are you? Any place where we can meet?"

 _. . ._

 _"No. I'm currently in Africa on official business, but my team and I are arranging a flight to New York."_

 _. . ._

"When?"

 _. . ._

 _"Once everything is dealt with here, we're heading to Stark Tower to pick up the pieces."_

 _. . ._

"So what you're saying is...I've been speaking to a member of the Avengers this entire time? Specifically the famous Black Widow?"

 _. . ._

 _"Really. That's the only thing you got out of this entire conversation?"_

 _. . ._

"I couldn't help it. So...can you at least, you know, send me a text on whenever you're arriving?"

 _. . ._

 _"Sure. Why not? Keep calm and send a text during the world's end. I'll see you soon."_

 _. . ._

"See _you_ soon."

The call ended soon after and Jessica turned to Claire.

"Do you trust her?"

"Of course not. But she's an Avenger. And if what she said was true...then we might be able to fix this."

"I'm in," Danny uncrossed his arms and joined Colleen by her side. "You know, you being trustworthy of someone you've barely known is uncharacteristic of you."

"Yeah, but I'm only trusting her because we've got no chance," Jessica scoffed before turning to Matt. A one-second sigh later, she bent down and picked him up before walking toward the door. Shaking her head and muttering an apology, she kicked the door off its hinges and gestured the others to follow her outside.

"So where are we going?"

"We have to get him to Stark Tower. We have some friends to be met there."

The group then took off after her.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in a (more-or-less) empty San Francisco, a young biracial woman stumbled around the sidewalks. This particular young biracial woman was unique because of one peculiar ability: she possessed the power of intangibility in the aftermath of a freak accident that resulted in the deaths of her parents. In short, she was dubbed a "ghost" because of said abilities and enlisted at **S.H.I.E.L.D.** because of them. Utilized as a stealth operative prior to the **HYDRA** Uprising, __she took a level in cynic upon the eventual realization that a cure for her condition was completely out of the question. That was, until the reveal that **HYDRA** was actually **S.H.I.E.L.D.** in disguise (or, more accurately, **HYDRA** had infiltrated **S.H.I.E.L.D.** a long time ago). Since then, the person whom she saw as her replacement father figure took in and began working on an antidote._

 _That's when the incredible shrinking man and woman came into play. Dr. Hank Pym (whom she bitterly hated with a passion for obvious reasons) and his daughter were located at the restaurant of a black market dealer._ _Of course, he should've thought twice when attempting to double-cross her, who proceeded to dismantle every and any henchman sent her way. "Hope" in turn was inconsequential compared to herself, whose powers of intangibility and invisibility made her a force to be reckoned with...when properly functioning, anyway. In fact, she would've ended the mission right there had it not been for the man's interference. As it turns out, the man named "Scott" was apparently an ex-con hired by Dr. Pym and was a father of one Cassandra Lang._

 _Again, however, she should've thought twice when contemplating the usage of her as leverage in exchange for the lab. Dr. Foster was more than happy to end their plan and (to an extent) relationship right there. From that moment, any thought of Scott's daughter did her no good than the actual plan itself. In hindsight, when she phrased it as such, it did sound rather off, even by her standards. What was she thinking?_

 _Ava slowed to a stop upon her ears perking up at the sound of what appeared to be soft sniffling...coming from her left. Turning to said direction, she squinted as a young brown-haired girl buried her face into her hands as she cried atop the front stairs. A twinge of sympathy flowed in her stomach and wanted to approach the young girl in order to comfort her...but she couldn't. As far as the girl was concerned, she was nothing but a stranger to herself. Imagine the look of terror on her parents' faces...that is, if she had any left._

 _Unfortunately for her, the girl noticed her first and shot up, backing up towards the front door._

 ** _"Wait, wait!"_**

 _The girl stopped in her tracks, but didn't hesitate to keep her guard up. She knew exactly who this woman was._

 ** _"Listen, wait. I'm not gonna hurt you."_**

 ** _"But are you willing to hurt my daddy?"_**

 _Whatever backup responses she had planned up her sleeves were immediately thrown out the window the moment the young girl asked this question. Ava stumbled backward in shock...and not just because of her quantum energy acting up._

 ** _"W-What?"_**

 ** _"My daddy is Ant-Man...and you tried to kill him."_**

 _. . ._

 _You know what, scratch that. Her entire plan so far was completely launched out the building._

 ** _"Okay then. That was clearly a mistake. I know better now."_**

 ** _"Are you sure?"_**

 _. . ._

 _Yeah. She had nothing._

 ** _"No, but...I'm getting there. Better than nothing, right?"_**

 _Nothing but her wits, guts, and Cassie on her side. Presumably so, judging by the way she smiled and lunged at her for a hug. Ava herself was clearly taken aback by this action, but she found herself giving in to it. **I guess it is...**_

 _. . ._

 ** _"Are you ready to save the world?"_**

 ** _"Yes."_**

 _Ava smiled back and glanced around. She gestured Cassie to follow her and began formulating a plan in her head. At the same time, she couldn't believe what was happening right now: herself, a villain, helping them, the heroes. Of course, she found herself personally forgiven by said heroes and bestowed the gift of Quantum energy to properly harness her abilities; the Quantum Realm itself was being utilized as a template for healing materials towards her condition. After that...well, she didn't know what would happen. For all she knew, it was one thing._

 _The Ghost of **S.H.I.E.L.D.** was always an assassin...and never a hero._

 _But Ava Starr could be._

* * *

Upon arriving on Xandar, the group found an empire cut in half with no one entirely in sight. The Xandarians were scrambling for resources like the people of Earth would in the case of an apocalypse. When the ship landed, most of the denizens swarmed the ship and begged for assistance. Tony, Nebula, Kraglin, and Valkyrie exited the ship and glanced around while sympathy (a slight hint in the case of Tony) built up in their stomachs. Nevertheless, they passed them on in favor of the head of the Nova Corps.

"Kraglin!"

The four turned to find a middle-aged man donning a blue uniform and a pink-skinned mother-and-daughter couple trailing behind.

"Denarian Dey!" Kraglin stepped out from behind Tony and Nebula. "Where's Nova Prime?"

"... I don't know."

"Then we have to assume she's either killed or missing in action," Nebula approached Dey. "Are you the new head of the Nova Corps?"

"I am now..." Dey nodded, "or what's left of them, at least."

"We shall get to work, then," Valkyrie stepped forward. "Kraglin and I will help you with the remnants of the survivors. The two of you shall contend with our mystery guest."

"Mystery guest?" Tony and Nebula exchanged confused looks before Kraglin perked up.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot about her! How is she, Dey?"

"She's still in her usual place...meditating for the past 20 years."

Dey lead Tony and Nebula to the individual's home and marched off to attend to the citizens. Both exchanging uncertain expressions once more, they entered inside (not before knocking, of course) and found nobody inside. Nobody but a woman who seemed to not age a day.

"Can I help you?"

"We apologize for intruding, but we don't have much time. My name is Nebula, and this is my companion Tony Stark."

"More like _end-of-the-world_ buddy, but close enough." Even during the world's end, Tony found it within himself to crack a joke. Of course, given that he lost Peter in the battle before, this probably was a testament to his loss of sanity as a result. Nebula shot a glare at him to echo this sentiment.

"Nebula... The _second_ daughter of Thanos." The woman stood up and turned to face them, revealing her light brown hair and swept-down blonde hair. As she began to stand and turn, the navy blue bodysuit in turn started to morph into an armored red-and-blue uniform, the familiar eight-pointed star of the Kree drenched in gold and in the center of her chest. She crossed her arms and scowled at them, specifically _her_. Of course (again), given that her father gave out commands to the Kree, one of her dastardly archenemies, this was justified to an extent.

"And where's the _first_?"

"She's dead. Thanos killed her to obtain the Soul Stone." In spite of her blunt tone of delivery, Tony could clearly detect the pain in Nebula's voice. The woman did so as well, regretting her decision to quickly jump to conclusions. However, she kept her guard up during her so-called interrogation.

"I'm sorry. I don't suppose you'll be needing my help?"

"Believe us, we require a lot of it," Tony tilted his head. "Thanos basically killed half of the universe with the Infinity Stones. The Avengers, I assume, are picking up the pieces."

"The...Avengers?"

"Right. Sorry. In your 20-year absence, Nick Fury assembled a team of superheroes called the Avengers to fight the battles the world couldn't. It's pretty expository, we'll tell you on the way to Earth."

"Hold on," the woman waved her hand to stop him there. "You know Nick Fury?"

"What, you too?"

She nodded in response to his question before introducing herself.

"Yes. He sent me a message just now. My name is Carol Danvers."


	5. Chapter 5

_. . ._

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

 ** _"Hello? Ha ha, very funny. Hank, quit screwing around, you told me yourself not to screw around..."_**

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

 ** _"Hank? Hope? Janet? Guys? Guys! Okay, seriously, don't joke around, bring me up, let's go! GUYS!"_**

 _Scott was violently snapped awake by a nightmare unfolding before him. A vast array of different colors stimulated his vision as he regained consciousness, the realization hitting him like a freight train that the nightmare in question was very real and not a fake. He didn't know how, he didn't know why, but he just was..._

 _He was stuck in the Quantum Realm._

 _Okay, he actually knew why (he was sent here by the Pym Family to obtain quantum energy for Ghost), but he just didn't know how. One minute Hope was counting down, the next she wasn't. Something happened to her, and if something happened to her, then the same thing happened to Hank and Janet. He didn't know what, but it had to be something bad. As a result, he found himself stuck in this never-ending dimension of horrors, aimlessly floating while awaiting help that may never come at all. He had to get out of here and get to the bottom of this._

 _Attaching the container of quantum energy to his belt, Scott drifted to different sections of the area surrounding him. There had to be some way out of here, his thought lingering with desperation..._

 _' **Wait, why am I going backwards?** '_

 _Turning around to find a peculiar looking sector of the Quantum Realm, Scott realized in horror that he was drifting towards it. Frantically attempting to waft away from this perceived object of doom, they were ultimately in vain as he was pulled in. His bloodcurdling scream could be heard echoing throughout the perilous alternate dimension...but not loud enough to be heard from the real world..._

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

 _. . ._

"Don't move."

Scott regained consciousness again and rubbed his helmeted head. His vision straightening and ridding itself of blurriness, he glanced around to take in his surroundings before that voice commanded him once more.

"I said, don't move."

Hesitation was eventually replaced with curiosity because the voice his captor was speaking with; it was that of a teenager, specifically a female's. Glancing up to face her, his breath hitched at the sight before him. The same female teenager was donning a purple version of Hope's Wasp suit.

"Hope...?"

"And don't talk, either!"

The tension was reaching a boiling point as the girl continued aiming her blasters at Scott. She then crouched down and pulled him up face-to-face, never lowering her guard.

"Now... Who are you, and why are you wearing my father's suit?"

It was at this moment that Scott had an idea who this girl in purple was...but good or bad, he didn't know if it was.

"Cassie...?"

An idea the girl was most certainly taken aback by, but she never hesitated to lower her blaster.

"How do you know my name?" Cassie pressured Scott to answer, but he could only slip off his helmet and reveal himself to her. At that moment, she lowered her blasts and resorted to holding up by the collar, an expression of shock and confusion worn as she did so. "D-Dad?"

 _I... I can't believe it. My dad's alive! After all of those years, he's here! Well, specifically there in the Quantum Realm, but regardless. Wait...how do I know this is him?_

"You're not a Skrull, right?"

Scott glanced back and forth, wondering if the girl before him was really his daughter. "Uh... A what?"

"A Skrull. A shapeshifting alien lifeform who can potentially damage the reputation of a beloved..." Cassie attempted to explain before she realized that her father couldn't possibly recognize the threat of a Skrull even if he tried. "Never mind, I'll tell you later. Dad, I can't believe you are here."

"I can't believe _you're_ here, peanut. Where are we?" Scott hugged his teenage daughter, who giggled at the use of the childish nickname coined by her dad.

"Dad, you don't have to call me that. But to answer your second question, we're currently at Stark Tower...or what's left of it, at least."

"Stark Tower? Wait... Mr. Stark. Mr. Stark can explain to me what's going on here!" Scott began to take off out of the room, but Cassie dragged him down in order to get through him first.

"Dad! Dad! Hold on! You need to rest first! After all of those years in the Quantum Realm, you would have to be very tired, right?"

"How could I be tired? I have to tell Mr. Stark about the – " Scott stopped himself upon processing what Cassie had said. Turning to face her ever so slowly, a look of horror began to grow on his face. "Wait... Cassie, how long have I been in the Quantum Realm to you?"

"To me? Approximately _seven_ years. Why?"

Scott began to further process the information given to him by his own daughter (a teenager no less) as he took a seat nearby. Cassie took the seat next to him as she shot her father a look of concern and sympathy. "Cassie... I was only in there for a few hours. How could time pass... Wait a minute, time. Time..."

"What about it?"

Janet's warning of stumbling upon a time vortex came rushing back to him at full force. "Janet... She said something about a time vortex and how..."

"You shouldn't drift into it?" Cassie nodded in understanding, as Scott in turn shot her a look of bewilderment. "Yes, I know."

"How?"

"... Ghost. She told me."

* * *

Steve was wandering about the forest of Wakanda when he stumbled upon Bucky's final resting spot. Gazing at the pile of ashes for a minute or so, he then crouched down and ran his hand through it as he somberly sighed. Aside from Tony, Bucky was his best friend and brother-in-arms since the second World War. Not only that, but he was his last tenuous link to his past in the 1940s; to see him join Peggy in the literal ashes of time was a gut punch across the board. Despite this tragedy, however, he couldn't just give up just yet. If they were to give up now, then the world would lose its only shard of hope. _Hope... The one thing worth fighting for._

A moment later, his eyes then glanced over to an object not far away: a FN M249 SAW Paratrooper. Standing up and making his way toward it, he recognized the machine gun as Bucky's weapon of choice during the battle of Wakanda. He remembered the last time he used such a weapon of mass destruction: six years when the Avengers were first formed. He took off an assault rifle from a mercenary disguised as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent during the attack on the Helicarrier and utilized it to defend his position while attempting to help Tony keep it from crashing down onto the city or into the sea. The only other gun he wielded in battle (aside from the Thompsons carried in those American propaganda films of old) was a Colt M1911A1, a single-action pistol in sharp contrast to an automatic carbine like the Noveske N4 Diplomat. It wasn't that he didn't like guns of any kinds, but rather he saw them as completely unnecessary when it came to dealing with battles head-on.

Picking the heavy weapon up and examining it, Steve decided to make an exception as he chambered it.

Meanwhile, Natasha was prepping the Quinjet for the trip along with Bruce when she decided to make a call. Holding the flip phone up to her ears, a dial tone was all she heard for a minute or so until...

 ** _"Nat?"_**

 _"Barton."_

 ** _"Where are you?"_**

 _"In Wakanda. We took a lot of hits, which we're trying to shake off."_

 ** _"We? Are the rest of the team with you?"_**

 _"Some of them. We lost Vision, Barnes, Maximoff, and Wilson among others."_

 _. . ._

 ** _"Wanda's gone?"_**

 _"I'm sorry, Clint."_

 _. . ._

 _"We could use your help right now. Who else is there with you?"_

 _. . ._

 ** _"Lila. Along with Pepper, Stark's head of security, and two schoolgirls who have something you others may want to see."_**

 _"What is it?"_

 ** _"I tell you when you get here in New York...or if you get here."_**

 _"We will. You and the others hang tight."_

Natasha turned to Bruce now. "We good?"

"Almost," the scientist himself nodded before prepping the final details of the Quinjet.

"All right." She exited to check up on the rest of the party. Shuri was listening intently to the directions her mother relayed to her, while Okoye was given her own to watch her whilst they were in New York. Nat waited until Queen Ramonda was done giving out instructions to approach her with her reassurance.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Your daughter will be safe."

"I know she will," Ramonda nodded in response, "but I have my right to worry."

As they were talking, Thor and Rocket came around the corner with their respective weapons while Rhodes trailed behind. Steve was the last to arrive and Natasha immediately took notice of the gun in his possession. Setting that fact aside for now, she boarded the Quinjet last as Shuri and Okoye were led inside. As the door closed, the former (Shuri) signaled her mother goodbye before she did the same while the latter (Okoye) softly watched on. Nat balled her hands into fists, a face laced with determination.

 _We're the Avengers, Nat... If we can't protect the world, we can be damned well sure that we'll avenge it..._

* * *

 _ **A/N** : So, an approximate two months since I last updated, but here's what happened so far._

 ** _"Scott is trapped in the Quantum Realm while obtaining quantum energy for Ghost, unaware that the entire Pym Family (and presumably countless others have) has been reduced to three piles of ashes as a result of Thanos' fingersnap. As he tries to look for a way out, he gets caught in a time vortex and sent approximately seven years into the future, where Cassie has become a superhero in the wake of his absence. Meanwhile, in present time, Steve and his group prepares to head to New York and meet with Clint and his group."_**

 _The next chapter will (possibly) see Carol explain who she is and her missions while with Starforce and the two groups deducing the meaning of Fury's pager. I also have a dream cast of my version of **Young Avengers** , but I'm uncertain for some of the choices so I'm gonna let you readers decide._


	6. Chapter 6

**_Xandar. . ._**

"Danvers... Where have I heard that name before?"

Tony and Nebula were both standing across Miss Danvers herself. She was examining them with a look of caution and weariness, the second emotion made sense considering she had been helping the people of Xandar recover from their attack by Thanos and the Black Order. Her taking in the tale regaled to her by the blue Luphomoid on the right involved a long and difficult process. _So... In the wake of my absence, Nick actually managed to bring together a ragtag team of misfits and defend Earth from a world-conquering Frost Giant turned renegade Asgardian? Wow. I'm both impressed and offended. Impressed that he managed to do this with just the one eye, offended that he never bothered to contact me because of it. Then again... I did request to be left alone because of that day._

"You are a member of Starforce?" Nebula stepped forward.

"I _was_ a member of Starforce..." Carol started slow, "...before it got disbanded."

"What happened?"

"Most of the team either died or got arrested because I made a mistake."

"Care to elaborate?" Tony was next.

"What's there left to say? I screwed up, and they paid the price. After that, I swore not to go back to Earth...even in the most dire of emergencies."

"Well, as much as I want to agree with you, Earth is under attack. Or _was_ under attack. Half of the planet's population is gone, and I have to help my team get them back. I can tell you're in need of help too, but I can't help you if you don't help me." Tony clearly didn't want to tick this woman off, but he was also clearly losing his patience by the minute. "Now, I'm going to ask you again: care to elaborate?"

During his rather desperate call to arms, Carol couldn't help but wonder how this stubborn and dimwitted man before her was the leader of the Avengers. However, she saw a fire of determination blazing within him, and that's what she liked. She relented and wordlessly gestured for the both of them to take a seat or two.

"You might as well get situated then...because this is going to be a _long_ elaboration."

* * *

 ** _Earth. . ._**

The Quinjet arrived at New York in the wee hours of the evening. Upon closer inspection at the rooftop of Stark Tower, there was an arrival party waiting for them. It consisted of Clint Barton, Pepper Potts, Lila Barton, Happy Hogan, and a pair of schoolgirls none of the arriving group recognized. Betty and Cindy looked on in awe as the technologically advanced aircraft flew into view and landed a few feet from them. When the backdoor opened, everyone exchanged **Hi** s and **Hello** s while getting acquainted with each other. Lila wanted a talking raccoon after noticing the presence of Rocket (who was appropriately creeped out), Natasha and Clint discussed Lila's jubilant attitude in spite of the situation, and Steve and Pepper talked the disappearance of Tony.

"So, you haven't been able to contact Tony since he headed up in space?"

"I've been trying, but even **_F.R.I.D.A.Y._** 's having trouble lately."

"Was there anybody with him when he did?"

"There was Peter and a wizard named Stephen Strange, I think."

"Strange?" Steve and Pepper turned to an approaching Thor. "You know Strange?"

"He asked Tony to come with him. Bruce was with them."

"With who?" Bruce was next to approach.

"You were with the Master of the Mystic Arts, correct?"

"Yeah. I...crash landed there. There was another guy with him, his name was Wong. Tony invited him to his and Pepper's wedding."

"We should summon him, then. We need all the help we can get."

As the group entered the building, Steve offered a congratulations to Pepper, who softly thanked him. She then went off to order 20 or more pizzas from NY Pizza Suprema while the group got situated. It was an admittedly rough start, but once the pizza arrived, things became relaxed...

 ** _DING-DONG!_**

Natasha and Clint went up to answer the door and found another small group waiting at the entrance. Deducing the identity of the woman in the biker jacket in a matter of seconds, the former chuckled...much to the latter's confusion.

"Took you long enough."

"We had a bit of a delay."

"I can see that."

"So, I take it you're _' **BW** '_?"

"... Unfortunately, yes. Man, Matt, you have come up with the least original and inventive caller ID ever."

"That's Murdock for you. Jessica Jones."

"Natalie Rushman, or just Nat."

"Nice to meet you, Nat. Is that pizza I smell?"

"Again, unfortunately, yes."

"Ah, great. I'm starving."

The group behind Jessica entered inside after her and Claire carried a still unconscious Matt to the infirmary, accompanied by Natasha. When they got back, Clint remembered why everyone that was here was here. Wordlessly gesturing Betty and Cindy to hand over the pager, he turned it on and placed it in the center of the table surrounded by the endless half-empty boxes of mixed pizzas. The symbol of a familiar eight-point was displayed on the screen.

"So... Besides the fact this supposedly belongs to Nick, does this ring any bells?"

"Ha-ha," Thor chuckled in response. "That, my friend, is the Hala Star...the symbol of the Kree."

"The Kree?" The entire group was rendered confused by this revelation, specifically the more human members. "You mean, like...aliens?"

"In a way, yes."

"Why would Fury send a message to the Kree, and how would he know about them?" Natasha tilted her head, "If you ask me, they sound like Bad News Bears."

"Most of them are actually quite genial," Thor refuted. "The only problem is that their pride overwhelms their judgment."

"Like you, big guy?"

"Yes, again in a sense."

"Did Fury even know what he had signed up for?"

"He should've," Natasha turned to Clint, "Barton, you've known him longer than me. You think he had a file on the Kree?"

"Well, _you_ should know," Clint turned to Natasha, "You, Cap, and Sam basically hammered the nail in _**S.H.I.E.L.D.**_ 's coffin four years ago."

"I never heard of the Kree," Steve inputted, "but I believe we should look into it."

"Way ahead of you," Rocket snatched up the pager.

"What are you doing?" Natasha asked, but by the time she finished, the communication device was in pieces.

"The pager has a transmitter that can reach from here to Hala. Assuming the other half of the population of Xandar isn't gone, we can contact the remaining Nova Corps." Handing the newly modified pager to Thor, Rocket pointed at a blue button. "Use this one to talk."

Doing as he was told, the demigod spoke: "This is Thor of Asgard. To anyone who can hear me, I'm currently on Midgard, also known as the Planet Earth or Terra. Calling any vessels within range, I require assistance immediately..."

* * *

 _ **Xandar. . .**_

Tony and Nebula were left speechless by the heartbreaking story of Carol Danvers. The latter could relate with this woman, seeing as her own father treated her like she was nothing but a waste of parts. The former was just plain shocked at this woman being put through a literal hell and managing to make it with only a few injuries. Her father being nothing short of abusive (unlike his own), her older brother dying in the Vietnam War, and then her own mentor dying at the hands of a Kree General. It was truly a wonder at how she managed to survive through it all.

"You know, I was almost tempted to cry there. _Almost._ " In truth, that wasn't sarcasm, but pure brutal honesty.

"Pathetic," Nebula muttered under her breath before turning to Carol, "Captain Danvers, I understand your losses and the trauma you've endured. But the world–your Planet Earth–is in trouble. Thanos is out there with the Infinity Gauntlet, our possible one hope capable of fixing everything. We need all the help we can find."

"Well, I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to find someone else. I'm not your help. I'm just a liability." Carol began to gesture to them to leave when Kraglin burst in.

"Uh, there's some guy named...Thor calling from...Earth."

Tony, Nebula, and Carol all exchanged looks before replying in unison: "Where?"

* * *

 ** _Earth. . ._**

It was nighttime now. Most of the team was gathered around the living room with empty boxes of pizza and drunken bottles of soda surrounding them. Betty, Cindy, Lila, and Jessica were fast asleep, as were Banner, Clint, Danny, and Rhodes sprawled all over different sections of the area. The only ones barely awake were Steve, Natasha, Thor, Rocket, Shuri, Okoye, Pepper, Luke, and Claire. All of them had been waiting since afternoon for some sort of reply and were fixing to give up until...

 _"ZZZ...T-Thor...?"_

The heads of those awake shot up and turned toward the pager. Of course, the demigod answered first.

"Stark! It is me, Thor!"

 ** _"Tony?!"_** Pepper took it from Thor, "Oh my God, are you okay?"

 ** _"PEPPER?!"_** The line was cracking up, but not enough for the group to not confirm that it was Tony, _"Yes, Pepper, I'm okay!"_

"Tony. Tony, where are you?"

 _"I'm in someplace called Xandar. My end-of-the-world buddy is a blue cyborg named Nebula, her space pirate boyfriend Kraglin, and a woman named Carol."_

"Nebula...? Kraglin…?" Rocket took it from Pepper in turn, "Nebula, Kraglin! Are you two okay? Where's Quill and the others?"

 _"..."_ A tense silence followed, followed by four words: _"Rocket...They're all gone."_

. . .

The group all looked at an eerily silent Rocket, who placed down the pager...and proceeded to fly into a ball of rage. With him seeing bloody red and his claws drawn, he screamed obscenities and tore into pieces of furniture in order to vent his frustration. He kicked a table over and hurled a wooden chair into the wall, cursing Thanos and the damage he inflicted onto his now fallen friends. In the midst of his fury, the group quickly backed away the moment the first scream was released. Those who were asleep awoke at the sound of his expressed pain, which only ceased when he realized what he had done. His anger dissolved into that of sadness and he took a seat on a half-destroyed chair, his head hung in despair as he sobbed into his paws. Thor and a tired yet alarmed Lila made their way to comfort the cybernetic raccoon while a fully awake Banner glanced toward the pager and took it up.

"Tony... Just hang tight. We're coming up with a plan to get you."

 _"No need to. We're just refueling here before traveling again. Pepper? I love you."_

"I love you too, Tony."

And just like that, the line was cut off and anyone who held a deep breath released it. Thor and Lila each took their turns comforting a distraught Rocket, who had stopped crying a few minutes ago and resorted to merely burying his face in his paws. Steve took a brief glance around and sighed solemnly: _Hang on, Tony..._


	7. Chapter 7

_7 Years Into The Future. . ._

Scott Lang was lead into the living room by Cassie, who showed him around with a hint of subtlety. _Wow, this looks too futuristic, even by the standards of a Stark..._ As he looked around, his thoughts couldn't help but linger back at the different possible fates of Hope, Hank, and Janet. One moment he was in the Quantum Realm, the next he wasn't. Something just had to happen to them while he was acquiring quantum energy for Ghost; speaking of which, where was she?

"So Cassie... What happened while I was gone and where is Ghost?"

"After you went missing, Ghost took me and a few kids in and trained us. I studied quantum physics for nearly five years so I could look for you. Ghost herself is leading a team of her own trying to defend the world from stowaway aliens, robots, and Outriders of the like."

"Outriders?"

"Gigantic space dogs. It's a long story."

"I got time. So...Ghost is leading a team now?"

"They call themselves the Thunderbolts. Long story short, they consist mainly of a group of reformed supervillains and/or criminals."

"Huh. That makes sense. So what if any of them double-cross each other?"

"Well, this may amaze you, but none of them actually tried to do so," Cassie commented, "but we have taken precautions to ensure that doesn't happen."

"To ensure what doesn't happen?"

Scott and Cassie looked up from their conversation to find a boy around her age shooting up from the couch. He had light brown hair slicked to the left (right from their points of view), blue eyes, a blue jacket above a blue long-sleeve collared shirt, khaki pants, and brown boots. When he stood up and walked toward the two, Scott immediately took notice of the SIG-Sauer P229R holstered on the waistband of his pants. Cassie in turn immediately noticed her father's look of worry and apprehension, holding him back and silently gesturing to him it was okay. Walking towards the teenager, she...placed a kiss on his cheek.

"You okay, hon?"

"Honestly, I've been worse. When did you get here?"

"It depends. When did _you_ get here?"

"I got here a few hours ago. And before you ask, I'm not a Skrull."

"I'm supposed to believe you? Prove it."

"What's there to prove? If your dad was here, he'd probably kick my ass after he finds out..." The boy noticed a shocked Scott standing a few inches behind Cassie. "That's your dad, isn't it?"

Cassie cheekily smiled before she mouthed _Surprise!_ to him. Taking a _very_ deep breath, he walked passed her and stuck his hand out, intent on introducing himself without getting his ass kicked. A nervous smile didn't help his case, though, and neither did his subsequent stammering. "H-Hello, Mr. Lang..."

"Yes? Who are you?" In reality, Scott wasn't too angry at the sight of this boy who was presumably his little peanut's boyfriend. Of course, it couldn't hurt to mess around with him for a few moments or more.

"I-I'm...Harley Keener. Cassie's...err, partner-in-justice."

"Boyfriend."

"No, no, no! Of course not. I mean, your daughter does have that certain kind of attractiveness that makes her... Uh..."

"Harley, you're just digging yourself a deeper hole," Cassie giggled from mere feet away. "Just tell my dad the truth; I'm sure he'll understand. Right, Dad...?"

"Sure. Why not? I shouldn't be surprised."

"I'm... I'm Cassie's boyfriend. There? You happy, Cass?"

To their surprise (as well as his own), Scott didn't do anything drastic. Instead, he stepped forward and placed his hand on his shoulder. "You took _great_ care of her?"

"Yes... I mean yes, sir."

"Okay then." With that dilemma out of the way for now, Scott turned to a slightly bewildered Cassie. "So, is it just you, Harley, Ghost, and Mr. Stark?"

"Well, not exactly. There's other people here, but..."

"But what?"

"Most of them are young adults just like us," Harley took his place beside Cassie.

"Well, I wouldn't call them young adults," Cassie herself shrugged, "More like...teenagers."

"Hello! Right here!"

The trio turned to find a young girl standing there. She seemed to be of Latina ethnicity with a hooded denim jacket that was emblazoned with all things red, white, blue, and stars. A spicy personality seemed to be par for the course, given her body language that came along with it.

"You know, just for clarification, **_Chica_** …" The girl crossed her arms in disdain, "I am _very much_ a young adult, much like your **_Chico_ **said."

"How old are you again, Chavez?" Cassie smirked as she sprang the question.

"Does it matter?"

"How old?" Harley shot her a look as he crossed his arms as well.

The girl huffed in contempt and rolled her eyes as she answered, "20."

"Still young," Both chuckled out.

"Still _older_ than you two," The girl cackled in amused satisfaction under her breath. At that moment, the door opened and three more people entered. One was British-Welsh (judging by the accent) with a black-and-white uniform with gold outlines, another was African-American with a black-and-yellow spandex unitard, and the third girl was fully Caucasian...with squirrel ears and a tail. And an _actual_ squirrel perched on her shoulder. The three of them were carrying nine pizza boxes in total, plus a helping of Chinese food.

"All right! Nobody touch the Chinese; that's mine!"

"Noh-Varr, what is it with you and Chinese food?"

"He can't help it, Doreen."

When they got to the living room, they expected to see only Harley, Cassie, and America there. They didn't expect on seeing Harley, Cassie, America, _and_ Scott there. At first sight, they took their fighting stances with their abilities or fisticuffs...but not before placing the food on the coffee table first. Cassie cringed and rushed forward whilst waving her arms around in a comical fashion.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Hold on! Guys, this is my dad! Please don't attack him!"

Upon hearing her explanation, the shocked trio blushed with embarrassment and lowered their defenses while muttering their apologies in unison. The Caucasian girl approached Cassie as she realized something. "Hold on. I thought your dad was dead, Cassie?"

" _Missing_ , Doreen. Not _dead_. Dad, this is the team I'm working with. This is David, Doreen, and Noh-Varr; you've already met Harley and America."

As Scott shook hands with the teens, he examined them from head to toe. From what he could tell, these young adults were far more experienced than him, and he was an _adult_. Of course, he was jettisoned seven years into the future and they had time in-between those years to train.

"Look, it's been nice to meet you all, but... I need to see Mr. Stark."

"Of course. This way." Cassie led her father to the elevator, the others following behind. As they entered inside, Harley shifted toward him.

"You know Mr. Stark?"

"I fought him two years ago...or, in this case, nine years ago."

"... Huh. Nice."

* * *

 _7 Years In The Past. . ._

Cindy took notice of the simultaneous activities of everybody in her line of sight. Half of the Avengers were sprinting back-and-forth in the living room, Miss Potts and Dr. Banner along with Shuri were working on the pager to strengthen the communication signal from afar, Betty was talking with Clint (who was keeping close eyes on Lila), and the raccoon (who was called "Rocket") still sat in silence following the heartbreaking news of his team's death. Everybody around her was clearly on edge, but considering the apocalypse now that was stuck in a standstill in front of them, you can't really blame them.

Rocket's somber attitude was starting to do a number on Cindy, so she stood up and walked over to him, sighing as she did so. Taking a seat a few inches from him, she hesitated for a moment before commencing her (admittedly) halfhearted rousing speech.

"Rocket, was it?"

"The hell do you want?"

"... Okay. Well, I shouldn't be getting into your personal issues, but..."

"So why are you?"

"Because I'm here to tell you that you have to get your head back in the game. Put aside your losses and get the job done."

"Why should I listen to you?"

"You don't have to...but you should. I'm just saying that the deaths of your friends are getting to you."

"And why wouldn't it be? They're not my friends! They're my _family_!"

At this point, everyone was looking at them with equal parts concern and intrigue, a tiny tad of fear lingering among them.

"Family, friends, or otherwise, you shouldn't feel guilty about not saving them. There was nothing you could've done, sooner or later. Believe me, I should know."

"Much sooner than later. Besides, my anger outweighs my guilt. When I find Thanos, I swear to God..."

"You swear to God what? From what I've heard from the Avengers, Thanos is this _very_ powerful person capable of erasing half of the world's population, which is exactly what he did. I'm sorry, but I don't think you'll stand a chance against him alone."

"Don't be. Just spare me your sympathy and apologies so I could wallow in my misery. I work better in a sour mood."

Rocket stood up and walked away, but not before he snarked over his shoulder. "Though I would put up a better fight than you."

Cindy huffed as she rolled her eyes and walked in the opposite direction. Pulling up her sleeve to reveal her wrist-mounted web-shooters, she observed them before sighing under her breath and walking towards her room. Everybody stood there for a moment's notice before Rhodes coughed.

"That was tense."

"Definitely," Danny lightly chuckled.

* * *

 _ **A/N** : So... It's been three months (from October to January) since I last updated, and I sincerely apologize. __I was stuck in a mental debate involving whether or not to rewrite this story after taking the teaser trailer of **Endgame** into consideration. If I were to do so, the story will involve Tony and Nebula stuck in space on the **Benatar** while the rest of the Avengers work to locate Thanos. Hawkeye's family would've all died, and Scott would eventually get out of the Quantum Realm. _

_For now, this chapter involves Scott getting acquainted with Cassie's new friends, who serve as the freedom fighters in an alternate future. Plus, Cindy is giving a pep talk towards a despondent Rocket who swears vengeance against the Mad Titan. The next chapter will involve new allies being introduced during different times._


End file.
